Korean Job Discussion Forums

[brento1138]

I was always curious about trying out "The Silk Road" in Hongdae. It's a relatively new Syrian/Palestinian restaurant across from Dos Tacos. Now I wish I hadn't. Let me explain, and warn you: never go to this place!

I was a tad worried when sipping the water. Yes, even the water tasted bad. You know if you leave a pitcher of water in a fridge for a few months and it gains a "bad fridge taste?" A taste of decay? Yes, it had that bad taste and smell to it.

Anyhow, I ordered the chicken biryani and a side of hummus. My friend got the lamb biryani and a side of falafel. When the sides arrived, I tasted the hummus. It tasted weeks old. Something was definitely rotten in there. I've made hummus, tasted amazing hummus, and crappy hummus, and this was beyond horrible... like it must have sat around for weeks or months... I dunno. The heart-shaped falafels must have been out of a bag, tasted like they were frozen beforehand. They were presented on a bed of cabbage. Yay.

Next came my food. I tasted my friend's lamb, which was more fat than meat. OK. So I tasted my chicken, it was pretty fresh, but the sauce/soup it was in tasted EXACTLY like the canned Cambpell's Minestroni soup you can buy at any food shop in Itaewon. It had previously frozen vegetables (including corn) in it. And I must insist, it HAD TO HAVE BEEN canned soup. And the rice! It was all clumped together as if it had been sitting around for a while. Worse than rice I've kept in my fridge after cooking it, and then reheating it in a microwave. How can rice be so bad?

At one point, I asked "Why am I eating this? I should just leave and refuse to pay for this crap." But he had eaten so much, and I had already eaten 1/3 of the meal, so figured I might as well suck it up and eat maybe a bit more. But I barely ate half of that crud.

The food was horrible. I could have cooked something better at home, even out of a can. But the atmosphere was equally bad. The place had about 6 birds flying around the place, swooping past your head! I mean, who let's actual birds fly around their restaurant? OK, maybe a nice concept on paper, but it was annoying. And at no fault of the owner, there was this HEAVY freakin jackhammering going on upstairs to add to the mess of the atmosphere.

When we finished, we went to pay. The owner asked how the meal was. For the first time, ever in my life, I told him the ugly truth. I said "To tell the truth, it really wasn't that good. It didn't taste fresh."

And get this. His reaction was to simply smile, laugh, and say "Sorry."

That's it. He didn't ask WHAT wasn't tasting fresh. He didn't stand up for his food. Nothing. He looked like he didn't care at all.

So, if you were curious about this place, don't be. I totally hated it and highly discourage you from trying it. It's obviously a "front" for the owner to legally stay in Korea (owning a business) when he's really doing something else.

It shows, as it was dinnertime and we were the only customers in there.

BEWARE.

[johnnyrook]

Thanks for the heads up, I don't go to Hongdae much anyway, but I just wanted to note how much this thread has given me a sudden craving for hummus. Damn, if only I was teaching in Turkey and not Korea.

[kiknkorea]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.
(A few more of these and we'll need a "Ripoff restaurants in Hongdae" thread)

[AsiaESLbound]

It's tough to put together a great foreign food meal, but it can be a bit fresher than that. Sounds like a lazy bird poo fest you went to.

[Bloopity Bloop]

Thanks for the tip.

Anyway, speaking of dummy businesses, anyone ever go to 'Persian Land' in Itaewon? I find the food to be alright and go there from time to time but have never seen anyone else there... Well, eating there.

There are ALWAYS a number of his friends and often Korean girls just chilling there seemingly waiting for me to leave to resume something. Not eating. I am always the only one.

I've gone there enough to the point where the owner gives me free sodas but I always thought that if I am indeed the rare patron, he must be doin something on the side to be doling out service beverages.

Maybe I'll go there for dinner tonight.

[Died By Bear]

Could it be that these terrible restaurants are merely fronts for other $ making activities? I mean gosh, for the owner to laugh it off like he didn't care, and not give you anything whatsoever for it sounds a bit over the top eh?

[eamo]

A lot of restaurants in good locations get a constant stream of passing trade.....first-time customers......they might not care if you're satisfied or not. They get plenty of customers and you're just another anonymous face.

[shinramyun]

So how much was it?

[Panda]

Speaking of aged hummus, I've had it before in the Turkish restaurant in PNU (after the owner changed) , it was so gross...I would never go back any more.

[brento1138]

[Quack Addict]

My school took me to a Korean restaurant and the food was terrible as well. I wanted to mention it to the owner but they insisted that I don't say anything. "That would be rude" they said. What rubbish is that? When is it a rule you have to be polite when you're not satisfied? The worst part is that is wasn't free. My school makes me pitch in 20,000 won a month for school dinners.

[eamo]

[Binch Lover]

The Nepali place at Hongdae park called Yeti isn't bad. It's under Smoothie King.

I went to Petra recently for the first time. It was really excellent (although not in Hongdae, it's at Noksapyeong).

[Scamps]

Petra is so good. It's always busy with natives (Middle Easterners) foreigners and Koreans. The owner/chef there used to cook for the King of Jordan. Prices are fair and it's authentic as it gets. No one I know has ever not liked it.

I have a restaurant to add to the do not go list. It's called Thali in Bundang near Seohyeon Station. The worst Indian food I've ever ever had, if you can even call it Indian food... I ordered the chana curry which is chickpeas in a spicy tomato sauce and my friend got the palak paneer which is spinach and paneer -a kind of Indian cheese. Well...the chana curry was nothing but a tiny bowl of gunk with about 5 pathetic chickpeas on the bottom. It was an orangey color and sweet, tasted like mashed up baby food. After the first taste I didn't touch it. When the palak paneer came I thought it was dal (a bean dish) it was completely brown and had those beans! I asked the waiter if it was dal and he said no, it was palak paneer, needless to say it wasn't...but the taste was better than the chana although that doesn't mean much. Also, they gave us some appetizer which was like a mini tortilla roll with salsa in the center. Barf.

[seoulsucker]